The faint sound of birds chirping while the sun peeked shyly from the small vents above the window. As the rays gently caressed her face, she furrowed. She was trying to force herself back to sleep. She pulled her blanket up and covered her pillow face. She turned her body to the left as she tried to hug the other pillow. After a few moments, she coughed.
*Cough-cough* Eterna pulled her palm to cover her mouth while she maintained her fetal position on the bed.
'Good stuff they get me a room. It's been 2 days since I couldn't move from my bed due to sickness. What a bad experience for a first-timer like me,' She complained as she somewhat felt regret moving into that world. She started back to sleep again. But, not long after that, someone was knocking on the door.
*Knock-knock*
*Creaakk*
"Ms. Eterna? You woke up?" As the door opened, such a high-pitched voice was heard.
Eterna peeked as she lifted her blanket. A little girl was standing still in the doorway. While carrying the tray with a bowl and a mug, that girl smiled as she saw Eterna's eyes peeked under a small gap in the blanket. The girl tidied up her yellow hair since the bangs started covering her eyes. After that, she put her hand back on the tray and walked toward Erina's bed.
"Are you still feeling unwell? Is there anything I could do?" The girl asked in a soothing voice which made Eterna speechless.
"I-i am fine. Thank you. Just put all the stuff here," Eterna sat up and pointed to the small table near the bed. But looking at the girl made her remind with her dead sister. The eyes, the nose, and the mouth exactly resemble it. Eterna stuck out her hand from the blanket and tried to reach her but she fell from the bed. The girl was shocked as she tried to help Eterna stand up.
"Are you oka-" Before the girl finished the question, She immediately stopped as she saw Eterna crying. Without questions, the girl hugged Eterna and gently stroked her black hair.
"Where is the pain? Is there any scratch?" The girl asked sincerely as she kept patting the back of Eterna's head.
"N-no scratch, but the pain is here." Eterna sobbed as her hand tried to point at her heart. She held tighter to the girl as she imagine that Mai was the one she held.
"I don't know what kind of pain you had been through, Ms. Eterna. But you can keep hugging me until you feel okay,"
Eterna didn't answer a single word. She lost her mind as the tears kept flowing from her tiny eyes.
"You... you remind me of my sister. Thank you. What was your name?" Eterna tried to speak up after straight 10 minutes of crying on the girl's shoulders. Eterna then tried to stand up.
"My name is Eftathia Goldfinger. Just call me Thia. My parent owns this inn." Thia then backed off a little as she tried to give Eterna spaces.
"Nice to meet you, Thia. My name is Eterna. Just Eterna. No family name." At the end of the sentence, Eterna smiled as her hand pat Thia's head. She then continues.
"Thank you for taking care of me these 2 days. I never knew it was you that treated me. Whenever I woke up, everything was ready. From the food to the bath." Eterna tried to remember the conditions whenever she woke up as her head looked around the place.
"Yes, Ms. Eterna. It was because of my mom's command. She said I need to get Goddess Yoko's blessing through you. Do you need to go bath? I will prepare hot water for you." Thia took initiative.
"Ah.. yes, please." Eterna agreed to the offer. Then, Thia did as the command while Eterna drowned in her senses.
'She indeed looked like my dead sister. From many aspects. Also, both are more mature than I am. They probably are around the same age, 12 years old or something. I remember the same sensations as I touched Thia's head, the same height. It made me miss her. Where are you, Mai?.' Her tear flowed through the edges of her eyes as she tried to look out the window.
****
-3 Days after-
"Finally, fresh air. Let's go, Thia!" Eterna held Thia's hand and ran really fast. She wants to know the whole city.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA... Ms. Eterna. Slow it down." Thia couldn't catch up with Eterna's pace as if her body was flying. Eterna who listened to the complaints then stopped.
"Ah... Sorry, I am too excited." Eterna awkwardly looked at Thia as her hair of her really messed up.
"That's better, now let's go the-,"
"Look! there's a parade!" She cut off Thia's sentence. Eterna ran again while holding herhand.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA... Ms. ETERNAAAAAAAA..." Thia then screamed louder than before. But this time, Eterna ignored that. She was mesmerized by the royal parade as her body walked automatically to the front row. She walked through the crowd.
'Woah... I have only seen this in a movie.' She stayed there for around 10 minutes.
"Look, Thia. That's a knight!" She pointed to the knight that wore full armor on his horse.
"Thia? Thia!" Eterna noticed Thia was no longer on her hands. Her pale face showed her worriedness that something could happen to her. She then against the crowd to escape from there and immediately seek Thia.
Long story short, she succeeds in leaving there.
"Thia! Where are you!?" Eterna jogged around while her hand around the mouth. She then turned her head in any direction. Since many people watched the royal parade, there was almost no one in the city besides the seller. Until...
"HELP!!!" Thia's screaming was vaguely heard. The seller's face looked confused and afraid, and so did Eterna. But no one was able to help since they couldn't leave their shop. Not like them, Eterna ran directly to the voice's source.
*Craakk*
*Thud*
Eterna slipped into a puddle. Her blue clothes ended up dirty but she quickly stood up and put off her slipper. She didn't care what would happen to herself. Instead, she worried about Thia's safety. Eterna also didn't forget to check every alley in case Thia was there.